Jiang Wu had never felt like this before.
Before, he would simply feel too exhausted to move, leaving him listless. Now, he found even staying still exhausting, as though two forces were battling inside him, yet he had no desire to mediate.
All he wanted was to sleep, but he couldn’t.
Jiang Wu was utterly miserable.
Being in Yin Wuzhi’s arms offered some comfort, but only in the places where he was touched. Soon enough, the two forces inside him resumed their fight, leaving him just as distressed as before.
As the sky darkened, Jiang Wu finally dozed off, his exhaustion overtaking him.
Half an hour later, the antidote sent by the Great Empress Dowager had arrived, but King Dingnan dragged the bearer back to the small room in the temple.
Yin Wuzhi remained seated on the bed.
The window was forcefully pushed open, slamming against the outer wall with a loud bang.
King Dingnan, breathing heavily, shouted, “Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!”
He turned to look at Yin Wuzhi, still seated on the bed, and shouted, “And you dare sit!!”
Yin Wuzhi stood up silently.
King Dingnan’s beard was trembling. “You and the emperor, deeply in love?”
Yin Wuzhi glanced at him.
King Dingnan pointed a finger at him. “You and the emperor, pledged for life?”
Yin Wuzhi glanced at him again.
King Dingnan kicked over a chair, pulling the whip from his belt and swinging it at him. Yin Wuzhi didn’t dodge, letting the whip strike his cheek, leaving a bloody mark. King Dingnan hesitated, unable to contain his rage. “With so many maids by the emperor’s side, you had to be the one to deal with the Empress’s poison?! Yin Wuzhi, are you out of your mind?!”
“I am fond of the emperor.”
“Does the emperor feel the same?!” King Dingnan roared. “What do you mean to him? Have you even thought about that? Why did he call for you when he was poisoned? Are you just a plaything?!”
“Before, I didn’t know what the Empress Dowager’s poison was.”
“Then why didn’t you leave when you found out?!”
Yin Wuzhi clenched his fists. “I didn’t want anyone else to touch the emperor.”
The next day, the sun shone brightly. Early in the morning, Jiang Wu was once again bathed, perfumed, and brought to Kongwen’s meditation room. This time, the old monk didn’t try to enlighten him but spoke instead of the common people, filial piety, and responsibility.
As Jiang Wu listened, he fell asleep again.
So it continued for several days. Yin Wuzhi remained confined, and Jiang Wu never saw him.
On this day, after waking up in Kongwen’s room and returning to his courtyard, Jiang Wu suddenly heard a heavy cough nearby. He ignored it, but then heard another series of loud coughs.
The Marquis could no longer hold back and spoke up, “Yesterday, someone poisoned the shizi. Have you figured out what happened?”
King Dingnan finally stopped clearing his throat and, with a cold expression, said, “We’re still investigating.”
“How is the shizi now?”
“Life and death are in the hands of fate, and wealth is determined by the heavens,” King Dingnan replied. “I’m too busy with official duties to check on him.”
“Poor child,” the Marquis said. “Since being locked up, he’s either been poisoned or faced assassination attempts. I wonder who he’s offended.”
“Stop,” Jiang Wu interrupted, and then added, “Go see Yin Wuzhi.”
The place where Yin Wuzhi was being held was guarded. When Jiang Wu arrived, he saw the man sitting by the window reading a book.
The sound of the wheelchair rolling across the ground made Yin Wuzhi look up.
His long hair was a bit disheveled, and his complexion was pale. His once sharp and beautiful features now looked gloomy.
But in an instant, his eyes brightened. “Your Majesty!”
He stood up, ready to jump out the window. Realizing there were guards at the door, he quietly put his leg back down.
The guard opened the door, and Yin Wuzhi had already rushed to the entrance. Qi Hanmiao moved aside to let him push Jiang Wu inside.
Yin Wuzhi wheeled him over to the small table by the window, then turned around and brought out some flower cakes. “Empress Dowager Wen sent these. I haven’t finished them yet. Are you hungry, Your Majesty?”
Jiang Wu looked at the whip marks on his face.
Yin Wuzhi smiled, breaking off a piece of the cake and bringing it to his lips. “Have a bite.”
Jiang Wu opened his mouth. The sweet, cool flavor of the cake touched his tongue. He held it there until it melted, then swallowed.
Yin Wuzhi’s smile deepened. “This is the first time Your Majesty has obediently eaten something I’ve fed without me having to coax you.”
Jiang Wu continued to look at the marks on his face, his clear eyes locking onto Yin Wuzhi’s gaze.
Yin Wuzhi touched his face gently. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing.”
“An assassin?”
“No,” Yin Wuzhi broke off another piece and fed it to him. “Just a minor injury.”
After Jiang Wu swallowed, he said, “Poisoned.”
“I wasn’t poisoned. I noticed the signs immediately and restrained the person.”
“It was mother.”
Yin Wuzhi’s eyes darkened. “I don’t know who it was.”
“You can’t tell?”
“It’s not that easy to figure out,” Yin Wuzhi said while feeding him, breaking a piece of the cake into smaller portions and feeding it to Jiang Wu like one might feed a cat. “Don’t rush. We’ll find out eventually.”
Jiang Wu stared at him for a while, his gaze suddenly becoming unfocused.
Yin Wuzhi, sharp as ever, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“My head,” Jiang Wu said. “What would I do without you?”
Yin Wuzhi stood up and began massaging his temples with just the right amount of pressure. “Why does Your Majesty have a headache all of a sudden?”
“Mm…”
Yin Wuzhi let go. “Still hurting?”
“Mm.”
“Did you not sleep well? Was the bed too hard or…”
“The monk.”
“Did the monk say something you didn’t like?”
“Mm.”
“Did Your Majesty not close off your senses?”
“The wooden fish.”
“The sound of the wooden fish must have been irritating,” Yin Wuzhi said. “It’s really annoying. Maybe I should poison that old monk mute tonight.”
Jiang Wu: “?”
Yin Wuzhi realized what he had said and paused, gently brushing aside Jiang Wu’s black hair. “I was just joking.”
He knelt down in front of Jiang Wu, taking his pale hand and pressing it against his face. “Has Your Majesty missed me?”
Jiang Wu didn’t want to answer unnecessary questions.
Yin Wuzhi kissed his fingertips and placed his hand on his own face. “Have you been eating well?”
“No.” the Great Empress Dowager still wouldn’t let him have egg custard. Every day, it was only plain congee. Although they had switched to a better quality rice congee, he missed the smooth, savory taste of egg custard.
“If Your Majesty wants to eat it, I can get some for you,” Yin Wuzhi said. “Later, I’ll sneak out. They won’t notice.”
“No.”
“Is Your Majesty worried I’ll get beaten?” Yin Wuzhi smiled again, his long lashes fluttering with a hint of excitement. “Your Majesty does care about me, doesn’t he?”
Jiang Wu simply looked at him.
The excitement in Yin Wuzhi’s lashes gradually faded, and the corners of his eyes turned red. “You don’t care, do you?”
“Yin Wuzhi,” Jiang Wu said. “What have you found out?”
“Found out about what?”
“About my mother,” Jiang Wu said. “Don’t lie.”
“I haven’t found out anything.”
Jiang Wu glanced around the room. It was much smaller than the one he lived in, not even a third of the size, but since Yin Wuzhi was considered guilty, it was only natural.
He said, “Take me outside.”
Yin Wuzhi tightened his grip on Jiang Wu’s hand and said, “If, on the day Your Majesty was poisoned with the concubine fragrance, I hadn’t gone, would it have mattered if someone else went?”
It really wouldn’t have mattered. Jiang Wu had learned later that, when he was drugged, anyone could have helped him.
“Does it truly not matter? A maid would’ve been fine, a eunuch would’ve been fine, anyone including me?”
Jiang Wu didn’t understand why he was fixating on this. After all, it was Yin Wuzhi who had gone that day.
“You care about this.”
“Shouldn’t I care?” Yin Wuzhi’s eyes grew redder. “When you were drugged, you kept calling my name. But after it was over, you didn’t even bother to check on me—didn’t send anyone to look in on me—”
He cut himself off mid-sentence.
He wasn’t some resentful concubine in the deep palace. What was there to complain about?
Jiang Wu said, “I came.”
“You came, but only to ask about Empress Dowager Yao. And now that you’ve asked, you’re ready to leave.”
“…” Jiang Wu stared at the scar on his face.
Yin Wuzhi said, “You didn’t ask.”
“Does asking with just a look count as asking?”
“Of course, I would say it’s nothing serious.”
“If I told you who did it, would you help me get revenge?”
Jiang Wu: “Find someone.”
“…Find someone to help me get revenge?” Yin Wuzhi asked, “Really?”
“.”
Yin Wuzhi turned the wheelchair around, then reached out and wrapped his arms around Jiang Wu’s waist, resting his head on Jiang Wu’s lap. “I miss you.”
Jiang Wu looked down at his black-haired head.
“These past few days, I’ve been really unhappy.”
“My father found out I went to give you the antidote. He was furious, constantly mocking me, saying you don’t like me, that anyone could have helped relieve the concubine’s fragrance, but I just had to rush to do it… Others laughed at me too, saying you don’t really care about me, that you’re just playing with me, while I stupidly keep coming back like a dog at your beck and call.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
“Your Majesty,” Yin Wuzhi continued, “now, everyone knows about our relationship.”
“The Great Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager Wen, Empress Dowager Yao… my father, Marquis Wu, Zuo Haoqing… They all know. They all see me as nothing more than a plaything.”
Jiang Wu’s eyelids drooped.
No wonder he was so full of anger today, even suggesting poisoning the old monk.
This guy, is he a little white rabbit or a big bad wolf?
“Am I?” Yin Wuzhi rested his chin on Jiang Wu’s knee and looked up at him. “Am I just a plaything?”
“No.”
Yin Wuzhi’s lips curled into a smile, and the joy returned to his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Yin Wuzhi continued holding Jiang Wu’s hand, placing his fingers under his chin. Jiang Wu could feel the vibrations in Yin Wuzhi’s throat as he spoke. “Have you missed me?”
“.” This is so boring.
“Anyway, now everyone knows I’m yours,” Yin Wuzhi said. “You were under the concubine fragrance, and I was the one who relieved it. Once we return from the temple, no woman will want me.”
Jiang Wu replied, “I can grant you a marriage.”
Yin Wuzhi’s expression stiffened, and his voice turned cold. “Grant me a marriage?”
“No one would dare refuse you.”
“…Should I feel touched or angry?” Yin Wuzhi said, “We’ve already done everything that needed to be done on the day of the concubine fragrance, and now you want to marry me off to someone else?”
Jiang Wu didn’t really understand what was supposed to be done or not done.
He said, “If that’s what you want…”
“I want to stay by your side.” Maybe the concubine fragrance had given Yin Wuzhi courage, and he said, “I only want to be with you.”
Jiang Wu thought for a moment and said, “Yin Wuzhi.”
“Call me Ah Zhi.”
“.” Jiang Wu said, “The concubine fragrance was an accident.”
“Even without the concubine fragrance, you would have wanted me to serve you.”
After all, Yin Wuzhi was already his person. There was no denying it. Jiang Wu thought for a moment and added, “I have a throne to pass down in my family.”
Yin Wuzhi’s expression remained blank. “I don’t understand.”
“I will eventually have consorts.”
Yin Wuzhi’s dark eyes stared at him for a while before he gave a faint smile again. “Of course, I know my place.”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of The Daily Life of a Depressed Salted Fish right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
